Friday, February 10, 2012

Ka Ka o

Last Monday night, I went out with all the girls in my small group to celebrate our friend Dara who will be welcoming her daughter into the world any day now. Instead of doing a typical shower, we decided to take her to a local chocolate shop, called Ka ka o, which does tasting parties after hours. It was awesome! The owner taught us all about how chocolate is made.

Here is a quick tutorial:

A Theobroma cacao/cacao tree grows fruits called cacaos.

Inside the cacao are pods, and inside these pods are cocoa beans.

This is what the cocoa bean looks like before it is roasted. (We were able to see these at the store)

After the bean is roasted it looks like this:

(We were able to try the cocoa bean at this stage and it was very bitter!)

After a quick lesson, we started tasting! We tried all sorts delicious treats. First we sampled a lavender truffle, which tasted just like lavender smelled. Then a chai tea truffle that was full of rich flavors. We also tried a truffle that was made with fig, bacon, thyme and balsamic vinegar called Pig Vs. Fig. Next, we sampled was a vegan cherry truffle which tasted like an awesome chocolate covered cherry. Lastly, we sampled a truffle(mushroom kind) truffle, which was very earthy tasting.

We also tasted a marshmallow pie that reminded us all of a smore :)

They make their own marshmallows and flavor them with all natural ingredients. We tested a vanilla marshmallow, yum!

Lastly, we had some sea salt caramels. The caramels were freshly made and the sea salt made the flavors pop beautifully.

I came home with a tummy ache, yet it was worth every bite. I have never realized the vast difference between mass-produced chocolates and locally made chocolates. This store uses all natural ingredients and local ingredients when it is possible. It was such a fun way to celebrate a friend, and I would definitely return again for any kind of party!